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NewsConference: Molly Munger, Yes on California Proposition 38

Proposition 38 would send new tax revenue directly to school districts. It is trailing in the polls. Molly Munger, a Pasadena civil rights attorney is the brainchild behind the proposition. She speaks with Conan Nolan for NewsConference. Air date: Oct. 7, 2012. (Published Saturday, Oct. 6, 2012)

Attorney Molly Munger's campaign for her education-funding ballot initiative has been buoyed by an estimated $28 million of her own money.

Proposition 38 is trailing in polls, but Munger says her campaign's recent advertising buys have seen rising support, according to internal polling.

The measure – in competition with Prop. 30, Gov. Jerry Brown's own budget measure meant to benefit education funding – is intended to raise $10 billion per year for K-12 education.

Prop. 38 does that by raising income taxes on a sliding scale between 2013 and 2024, with most of the burden falling on the wealthy. (See ballot measure here: PDF.)

The money goes to a proposed California Education Trust Fund, which can't be controlled by the governor or the Legislature.

Munger says that independence is crucial.

"The purpose is to be sure this money is not under the control of the political process. It needs to not be available for other needs. It needs to be barricaded from any grabbing that does on in Sacramento," Munger said.

In 1988, voters approved Proposition 98, which requires a minimum level of funding for K-12. It's not enough, Munger said.